Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences - Color Me Happy
fullundisclosure 5/7/2012 1:06:00 PM
For anyone who dyes their hair unnatural colours (in my case, turquoise), this shampoo is a GODSEND! Some background info: a little more than a month ago, I dyed some of my hair with Manic Panic (a semi-permanent hair dye); I bleached it first; and I wash my hair 3 times a week. I have used this shampoo (and the matching conditioner) the entire time and the colour has barely faded at all; I have not touched it up since the initial dye-job because it is still very vibrant. I don't even put any dye in the shampoo or conditioner, because only some of my hair is turquoise, and I don't want to tint the rest of my hair. I highly recommend buying this if you want your colour to last for a long time... and also because it's fairly cheap and smells amazing! My hair looks and feels very healthy, but I would recommend using Moroccan oil or something similar after you wash it, because I found that my hair felt a little dry without it, and I quite often curl my hair.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Garnier - BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector - Light/Medium
fullundisclosure 4/20/2012 11:14:00 AM
I got a free sample of this in a magazine in the shade "light," which would be my closest match anyway if I were to choose it myself. Well, thankfully it was only a sample because it is far too dark for me, despite how sheer it is. I ended up putting a significant amount of makeup over it to cover the colour, and it actually looked good, like I had really healthy skin. But within an hour my skin started looking really oily and a little orangey. Luckily it didn't get any darker or more orangey, but no matter how much I blotted or powdered, my skin looked oily not long after (like within a half hour or so). On the positive side, it felt pretty nice going on my skin, I like the light coverage, and it smells really good. I just wouldn't recommend this product for anyone who has oily or super pale skin. Also, from what I've heard of authentic BB creams, this is more like a dewy tinted moisturizer than an actual BB cream. Although, if it looked a lot better then maybe I would use it long enough to tell if it did anything good for my skin, but there's no reason for me to buy it if the sample didn't work for me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -TRESemme - Waterless Foam Shampoo for Dry/Curly to Normal Hair
fullundisclosure 6/6/2011 7:58:00 PM
I wanted to love this product because I really love TRESemme products and have had a lot of success with them, but I would not purchase this again. My scalp can look oily very fast but I have a lot of hair so I don't like to wash it more than every other day. This product was very inexpensive (I can't remember if it was on sale), especially compared to other dry shampoos. I also figured that because it's a foam it would be quicker and less messy than other dry shampoos. So, after trying it out, my hair looked very, VERY shiny at the roots (which shows a lot on my hair colour) and it looked greasy. The only time I really have any success with it is when I spend a long time trying to get rid of any excess with a towel; it's not the most fun/easy process for me. I do have to say though that it makes my hair feel cleaner, even if it doesn't always look that way. It gives my roots a bit more volume, but it's very hit and miss when I have a decent hair day or an atrocious one with this product. Also, the smell isn't too bad, it's just very strong and can sometimes conflict with the other scented products I use. On another note, I would not recommend this dry shampoo to anyone with fine, thick hair (especially if it's not particularly shiny and/or it's a colour that typically shows oil). But, I'm sure that other people who have easier hair to work with might find more success.
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Polishes -OPI - Mermaid's Tears
fullundisclosure 5/15/2011 3:04:00 PM
I absolutely love this nail polish!! Honestly, I mainly bought it because I'm a huge POTC fan and out of the collection, I really loved the colour (and the name) of this one. It's nothing like anything I already have and it's gorgeous...I literally can't stop staring at my nails. It went on smoothly and is completely opaque in 2 coats - and so far I haven't had any chipping. I strongly recommend this!! I love how it's a really pretty green but it's not too bright or turquoise-y, because I have enough colours like that.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Black Shatter
fullundisclosure 4/25/2011 7:16:00 PM
This product was much more difficult to use than I expected, especially upon my first trial. It is difficult to get a coat that is not too thick nor too thin, and it has a strange, dry texture (but I think the texture might have something to do with the crackle. With this said, this polish dries exceptionally fast and the crackle pattern appears within a few seconds. I'm not a huge fan of the matte finish, because it looks awkward and unattractive at first, but I almost always use a clear top coat that is shiny, so this isn't really much of an issue overall. Keep in mind though, don't let the matte finish turn you off the polish right away, because that can be easily fixed. I don't think I would re-purchase this product again because I really love the crackle effect as it gives a unique nail look with minimal effort on my part, but it can be a harsh look as the polish only comes in black (so far, and in this range). Unfortunately, it cost me $12.50 (before taxes) because I live in Canada, so I would only repurchase it after completely running out of this nail polish, and if I did not like the competitor products. That said, I would gladly try alternative crackle nail polishes.
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Lipstick -Rimmel - Lasting Finish - Asia
fullundisclosure 4/17/2011 10:30:00 AM
This has definitely become a staple lipstick for me - I love it!! It was 2 for $7 (Canadian) when I bought it, which I think is a pretty amazing price. I don't like "nude" lips, or at least, I don't like lipsticks that are too pale and wash me out. This is a gorgeous colour that I use as a neutral on a regular basis. It lasts well, it's flattering, and I can sheer it out easily so that my lips don't look overly brown. I don't know how this would look on other skin tones, but I think it would suit quite a lot of people who are much darker than me - especially because I usually try to make it look lighter. I'm not a huge fan of the smell or taste of this product, but it's not overbearingly annoying. Something kind of funny that I discovered the other day though is that if you pair it with quite a yellowy brown lipgloss (I got one that came in a set that I didn't plan on using - but the packaging was awesome and cheap), then it totally looks like Viva Glam Gaga 2 - which I do not own yet, but have swatched and oggled over for some time. I thought that that was an interesting find, especially because I realized how much I can change the colour of the lipstick and alter it to my needs.
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Moisturizers -Clean & Clear - morning glow spf 15
fullundisclosure 4/17/2011 10:21:00 AM
At first, I was not a fan of this product at all - mostly because it made me look super greasy, and the shimmer just made it worse. However, this moisturizer has become one of my favourite skin care products of all time...and I have used Vichy Norma Derm almost religiously for the past 3 or 4 years. I won't give this product 5/5 just because I can almost never wear this during the day, unless I don't wear foundation and use the moisturizer sparingly - but my skin isn't clear/even enough to do that. What makes this an amazing moisturizer is using it at night before I go to bed (despite the word "morning" in the name). I find that even if I haven't cleaned my face (only used a makeup wipe), if I use this product I wake up with phenomenally soft, glowy (not greasy/oily) skin. My skin has also cleared up a lot since I started using it on a regular basis. Overall, if you have combination skin that is prone to irritation, then this could be a great product for you to use at night. You can even slather it on excessively and wake up to looking more awake and alert (...maybe that's why they use the word "morning"?...just a thought). I find this is especially useful because I have very, very fair skin and I have a lot of trouble with stress, so my skin can often look and feel tired, and I can look like a zombie without the extra glow.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -GOSH - Velvet Touch Foundation Primer Apricot
fullundisclosure 4/17/2011 10:06:00 AM
I have been using this product for quite a few months now and I really do like it. First of all, it makes my foundation look more natural - as though it is just my skin. It also smooths my skin out and fills in my pores - literally giving my skin the "velvet" finish that its name claims. However, it took me a while to get used to this primer because you really have to let it sit on your skin for a while before you apply your foundation...to avoid having a hot mess all over your face. If you do wait (and put on your eye makeup, do your hair, etc.), then it gives that amazing finish that I love. Overall, I will repurchase this product - whenever it is that I run out (I don't need very much), despite its steep price for a drugstore product.
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Liquid -Cover FX - Cover FX - Natural FX
fullundisclosure 4/17/2011 9:46:00 AM
I previously wrote a review for this product but there was a little mishap so I'm writing a new one (a.k.a. the lady at the store tested me with a different colour than she sold me so I thought it was just my lack of technique that made me look orange). So, on to the review... I have a nearly impossible time finding a foundation light enough and neutral enough for my skin tone, and I have combination (oily + dry) as well as very sensitive skin. The colour that matched me was E0 - which is surprising because this product looks a lot darker when you squeeze it out, but blends right into my skin amazingly. I love the finish of this product (but I would recommend setting it with their loose setting powder, or something else), because it looks like I just have really nice, healthy skin. A word of caution though, you have to shake this product like crazy before you squeeze any out because it separates very easily. Also, less is definitely more as the product can go very far with very little, even if you also use it as a concealer for blemishes (like I do). Overall, I have not experienced any major problems with this particular foundation and I would recommend it to anyone who is very fair skinned and has a lot of redness, hyper-pigmentation, and/or acne scarring - so long as you like a dewy finish. I found that after taking the product off at night, I woke up with amazing, soft skin that looked a lot more even - including the darker, redder spots on my face.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No